


A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

by LonelyAche



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Afterlife, Anal Fingering, Dick Pics, Hangover, M/M, Masturbation, No Lube, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Pining, Public Sex, mentions of noctis fucking other people, sexting (noct wishes), sorta...
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-09 19:01:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10418997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyAche/pseuds/LonelyAche
Summary: Noctis is bored. Boredom leads to stupid bets, bad decisions and late night regrets -- and to a lot more Ardyn than Noctis is prepared to deal with.





	1. Chapter 1

Noctis didn’t really  _ know  _ how the bet had come to be. Or why he’d decided to participate.

He wasn’t sure who’d asked the question first. Who’d gone ‘yeah let me think about Ardyn’s-goddamned-fucking-pubic-hair’ and made it into a game. Honestly, part of him didn't want to know it either. Still, if he had to guess, and if the amused glint to Luna’s eye meant anything at all, he’d point all his fingers at her having something to do with it.

What Noctis did know was that there were more favours and information and even some currency – albeit somewhat useless in this place – poured into the bet than he was good to pass up. 

For all that dying had done for him, the Beyond –  eternal life in a perfect, brilliant dead-world Insomnia – had become pretty… well, dull: there was only so much standing around doing absolutely nothing and resting in peace for all of eternity Noctis could take. 

And after his righteous sacrifice, not even a couple of months into death had passed before fishing and relaxing and sunbathing in the Palace’s beautifully lush gardens had grown dull as anything. Six above knew what it was like when every nap was THE perfect nap, and when every fish caught was a huge scaled beast that barely fought as Noctis reeled it in. 

It just wasn’t right.

So yes, Noctis  _ was  _ bored. Hells, even his dad had remarked on it when they’d finally met. Something about how his eyes had lost their sharpness and his skin… something, Noctis hadn’t really been paying attention. He’d only chuckled when he heard Clarus agree and saw the man wince at Regis’ elbow in his ribs.

Sure, there were dinners and conversations and booze and carelessness and pretty much everything he’d wanted from life before he’d suddenly found his place and fate as Chosen King. Still, Noctis was, if not bored -- which he was, then at the very least, lonely. Without Luna – because they’d never loved each other  _ like that _ – and without a destiny to fulfil and Eos to save.

Without his friends.

So maybe that was why he’d bet all his gil on Ardyn’s carpet matching the drapes. Because he was bored and lonely as anything, and that was still a better explanation than the… other thoughts in his head.

Noctis flopped bonelessly on his bed. Long, deft fingers typed up a quick message to Ardyn from his somehow-still-working-whilst-dead-phone; a blatantly rude, to-the-point message: **‘** **_I need a dick pic.’_ **

Noctis rolled his eyes at himself -- given there was no one else around to see --and scoffed. He was probably an idiot, but this was still the most fun (the jittery, anxious kind that danced in his belly) he’d had in awhile.

Not to mention, the potential to become pointlessly rich in death if he won the bet.

Noctis didn’t have to wait very long at all for a reply to come through, and if he held his breath, heart hammering in his chest as he flicked through his phone’s screen, then... well, who could blame him? This was Ardyn, for Astral’s sake. If Noctis’ own trousers grew ever slightly -- just slightly -- tighter at the thought of actually getting the picture he wanted, he wasn’t about to go telling anyone _ that. _

Only there was no picture to be seen. Only text in return. Noctis exhaled, a pang of disappointment in his chest as he scanned the message. It was awfully long.

**_‘My dear Noctis, I’m not quite sure that I want to know how much you’ve had to drink already in order to even dream of asking me that, but I’m quite flattered by your interest. However, I must so, so sadly decline, for now, while you drink._ **

**_Whether or not you meant to send your message to someone else... let’s keep that between us, shall we?’_ **

Ugh. Asshole. Noctis didn’t bother correcting Ardyn that no, he hadn’t touched anything vaguely alcoholic since the last time he’d stepped into Luna and Ravus’ place -- they’d had lovely cocktails there -- and that no, he was so far from intoxicated it wasn’t even _ funny _ .

**_‘The text was for you-’_ ** Noctis rubbed a sore spot on his shoulder before he finished typing.  _ ‘ _ **_So uh, please?’_ **

**_‘Noctis, darling, you know I love it when you do mean to message me.’_** Noctis practically heard that voice, purring straight in his ear, smooth and so, so low. **_‘Please what exactly?’_**

FUCKING ASSHOLE.

**_‘I need-’_** no, scratch that, he erased the text with a movement of his thumb _,_ ** _‘I want a picture of your dick. There.’_**

It was a bit eager, a bit too forward, the kind of text he’d never have sent -- especially not to Ardyn but not to anyone else, either -- before his death. With the Beyond surrounding them and eternal peace to do with whatever he pleased, Noctis had… lost some boundaries. Or maybe just gained some bigger balls. Whichever. 

In his mind’s eye, Noctis could practically imagine the fire in Iggy’s cheeks or the horrified look in Prompto’s face if they ever heard of what he was doing. Gladio would kick his ass for this, and well, Noctis would’ve gladly let him, too. He missed that. Missed them...

Swallowing down hard, Noctis clutched the phone in his hands. His throat was tight with a lump of emotion he hadn’t noticed he was holding back. And he waited.

 

\--

 

Noctis didn’t realized he’d dozed off until he blinked his eyes open and groggily stared at the ceiling. It was white. Plain white. Boring just like the rest of his apartment. Empty, lifeless. Not that he had much  _ life _ left in him, what with being _ dead _ and all. 

Noctis swung his legs off the bed and stretched back, gathering both his arms above his head when he yawned. The quilt was soft behind his back and his pillow mighty plush and so comfortable he half-heartedly considered going back to sleep. Even in its simplicity, he enjoyed his place. It was probably why he’d declined moving back with his dad at the citadel or to Luna’s, with its massive, sprawling gardens. It was just _ too much _ sometimes.

Outside, the sun dimmed in the distance, dipping closer to the horizon. What time was it? Noctis stretched, back arching off the mattress and looked around the room.

Lazily, he pulled the phone from a nook on the side of the bed --  **5:36PM --** and idly scrolled through his notifications.

And time stopped. Or would’ve stopped if time meant anything at all in the Beyond.

**_As you wish, my king._ ** Read Ardyn’s only reply.

Noctis’ breath froze in his lungs.

He didn’t know what Ardyn was playing at. Didn’t know how to feel at being addressed that way by the man. His whole body shuddered; his breath seized in his chest. He almost dropped the phone and wound up scrambling forward not to let it crash to the floor, moving until he was stretched -- all fluid and cat-like -- on his front on the bed. Phone safely nestled in his palm, Noctis stared down at it.

If the words had shocked him, it was nothing compared to the picture Ardyn had attached. Noctis scrolled to see it and -- blazing heat erupted through him. He tipped his head back and half laughed, half groaned. Fucking asshole. Had Noctis really expected otherwise? This place must’ve been driving him crazy.

Instead of a picture Noctis could’ve used to win the bet, he stared at an perfect image of Ardyn’s cock -- long and thick and very hard -- with one of Ardyn’s hands wrapped around it, the flushed head peeking between his fingers, but not even a vestige of hair in sight. Damn.

It was perfect. Well, not for the bet, but for the part of Noctis and his intimate interest he’d tried not to dwell on. Without allowing himself to think, Noctis flopped on his side and reached down to undo the buttons of his belt while the other still held the phone, propping it up against his stomach. Even if he’d wanted to, he didn’t think he’d be able to tear his eyes from the picture. Especially not when his own fingers found the semi-hard length of his dick and stroked it. 

It’d been too long since he’d done this. Too long since he’d wanted to do this. Noctis’ hips moved in time with his hand. His palm slid across the underside and he bit down on little gasps and moans as white hot pleasure shot up his body, sizzling in his veins. He fought his own thoughts very briefly before indulging in the fantasies: that strong hand was the one touching him, Ardyn’s dick was pressing against his inner thigh, Ardyn was speaking to him as they fucked… Noctis gasped; he moved harder and the bed creaked under him, quiet against the rush of blood in his ears.

At some point, the phone tumbled off him and was lost somewhere in the sea of sheets, and by then, he was far too gone to find it again. Instead, Noctis’ gripped the bed tightly, fists balling and teeth pressing down on his lip as he came with a strangled sound. His vision blurred momentarily and he came back to a stickiness, to semen dripping down his fingers, and to a heat at his core that did not subside.

Noctis slumped back, willing his tense, exhausted muscles to relax. The photo stared at him from the corner of the mattress and it took nearly all he had to flip his phone upside down instead of reaching for his softening cock again.

He figured, with the part his brain that hadn’t fizzed out yet, that it was his own fault for not specifying he needed a picture of Ardyn’s _ pubes _ along with his dick, but still. He wasn’t dissatisfied with it -- not with his own come cooling on his skin as the result, and the gentle lull of sleep calling to him.

Noctis found it easy to turn, to kick the trousers off his pale legs and down to the floor, to ignore the mess he’d made and to curl on his side, blissfully content. His eyes were shut tightly and he tugged at the quilt until it covered him, until he was warm and straddled that line between awakeness and sleep. A soft thud in the distance and he knew the phone had fallen to the floor along with his clothes.

Noctis ignored it.

Winding down from his orgasm, his breath evened and his chest rose under the covers to an easy, sleeping rhythm. 

 

\--

 

When Noctis came back to himself again -- though several naps a day weren’t entirely unusual for him -- it was to a thick wall of shame crushing him. Overwhelmingly, it smothered; it ate him whole. Noctis didn’t struggle: he WAS ashamed of himself, of what he’d done, of what he felt. 

He was ashamed for what he _ still _ felt. 

The bet did exist, it wasn’t an excuse -- well, not really. It was more of… a crutch, and a failing one at that. Noctis knew well enough that if he didn’t get it sorted and figured out Ardyn’s… downstairs colours, someone else would, and that was only fine if he hadn’t convinced himself -- along with Luna and Ravus -- he’d be the one to do it.

Hence the message, hence the guilt. Hence all this crap: the emotions he’d suppressed and which now bubbled under the surface, a touchpad away, a text away from being released into the Beyond. And then what? Noctis could hear Ardyn’s mocking laughter, smooth but chilly, an ice cold caress against his skin.

Eternal peace? More like eternal hell. 

Noctis sat up on the bed with a grunt of effort. The sheets had tangled with his limbs and he fought them until he managed to stand, tip-toeing around the various clothing items scattered across the floor. It was a mess in his room -- maybe not nearly as bad as when he’d been a teenager, but still. Being dead made cleaning up feel so much less  _ urgent _ ; being dead and close to dying again of sheer embarrassment and overbearing guilt meant that Noctis really couldn’t be bothered. Not today. Maybe never.

Barefoot, shirtless, and damp from a shower he’d desperately needed to wash away the… crustiness, Noctis was about to grab himself something to eat when he heard it.

Faint at first, the sound of music -- very familiar music -- echoed from somewhere in the room. Memories flitted across Noctis’ brain and he dug through a pile of socks and over his boots to find that the now-ringing-please-pick-me-up phone had fallen inside one of them. 

But if he’d rushed to find it, Noctis paused when he glanced down at it.

_ Ardyn calling,  _ followed by two missed calls already.

Fuck. Why did he even have his number in the first place? “Because you’re an idiot, Noct, that’s why,” he told himself, rolling his eyes, fingers ghosting the screen with apprehension; fear and shame collided in his mind.

Part of him wanted nothing more to ignore the call. He hadn’t actually spoken to Ardyn since that fated night in the Citadel, since the end of it all, since he’d told the man to rest. He’d seen glimpses of him and had gotten his number through -- probably Ravus. They’d chatted; stilted, painful conversations -- an apology -- and of course, he’d seen Ardyn’s cock.

But actually talking to him? Noctis stood slightly straighter as he pushed the phone against his ear. 

“Yeah?” 

“Oh, Noct,” a pause and Noctis heard Ardyn shift, heard the rustle of fabric in the background, “May I still call you Noct? I realize that after  _ all  _ that has happened, I might’ve lost that privilege.”

His voice was rich, barely a whisper through the phone and still so velvety it sent shivers running up Noctis’ back, tingling under his skin. 

_ Yeah, you can. Say my name again like that.  _ But he couldn’t and wouldn’t just hand Ardyn the ammunition to torment him. “Noctis is fine,” he said instead. “What do you want?” 

_ Not that asking for a dick pic wasn’t like asking Ardyn to fuck you over,  _ Noctis thought. _ You really are stupid.  _ But the voice he heard in his head sounded like… Gladio’s.

“What do I want? My dear, you were the one who messaged me regarding a certain photo, were you not?” Ardyn sounded accusatory. “It is fairly simple, Noct. I indulged in your private little desire -- and worry not, I’m not about to go tell any of your friends this particularly juicy tidbit. However, in turn, I require something of you.”

Noctis bristled. “You didn’t have to send me anything.”

“Ah, but it was a king’s request, and who am I but a humble king’s servant?”

If possible, Noctis might’ve tried to throttle Ardyn through the phone. Instead, he clenched his jaw and wheezed through his nose. In his underwear, his cock twitched.

“Piss off Ardyn,” Noctis said. “What do you really want?”

“Noctis… Noct, I’ve just told you, I have use of you. Only for an afternoon, surely you can agree to that?”

And there it was again, the way his name stretched into so many more syllables than it ought to be possible, each one as sultry, as beckoning as the last. For a moment, Noctis was lulled by the sound of his name, by the image in his head of Ardyn’s lips moving.

“Noctis,” Ardyn repeated. 

“I’m still here. And for the record, I haven’t agreed to anything.”

_ Yet.  _ Noctis heard Gladio’s grunt, heard the soft click in Ignis’ throat, in his thoughts before they even manifested. 

“After all I’ve given you, surely that is  _ the least _ you can do for this old man.” 

“All you’ve given me?” Noctis’ snapped down the line. “You sent me a picture of your dick! If that’s all you’ve given me then-- Fuck! I don’t even know.”

“It was what you wanted.” Truth. “If I recall correctly, it was what you _ needed _ . Although I can’t quite reason why such a fetching young king might want that  _ from me.  _ But of course I’m flattered, your majesty. _ ” _

It was a losing battle and Noctis knew it. Not because Ardyn had asked him to. Not at all. More troublesome was the fact Noctis wanted to go -- that he wanted all those things, all those thoughts he’d masturbated to. Shame waned through him. That Noctis wanted Ardyn to  _ want him _ .

He sucked in a breath. “Imagine I said yes, which, by the way, I haven’t. What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Oh, nothing much at all. I simply request your presence in the palace gardens sometime after midday. Would tomorrow be too soon to fit in your majesty’s schedule or would another date be more appropriate?” 

“Tomorrow?”

Though he’d had more than enough of a lifetime of strolling idly through gardens, Noctis considered the offer and  _ that  _ was a thinly veiled excuse indeed. 

_ Just say yes, ain’t that what you want? _ The memory of Gladio replied in his thoughts. Noctis thought that was fair enough.

He didn’t know exactly what Ardyn had done for his dad or the other dead kings let him near the palace, but then again, he also realized he had no idea where Ardyn was residing in the Beyond. Maybe they were all buddies and Noctis knew nothing of it. 

All of a sudden, the fire died inside of him and Noctis felt queasy. 

“Indeed, dear Noct, that is what I said. However, I’m sure we can come up with a more agreeable date if that’s --” But Noctis drowned out the words until only the quiet purr of Ardyn’s voice remained.

Tomorrow.

As in -- Noctis glanced outside and saw a pink line bisecting the horizon as night fell --  _ tomorrow _ .

He swallowed down and tried his best not to stammer like the _ idiot _ he was. “Yeah, tomorrow’s fine.”

“Excellent!” Ardyn said,  “Quite excellent, I shall see you then, your majesty. Do remember to bring appropriate clothing. Insomnia’s sun has been ravaging as of late.”

What the-- “The sun? What do you actually plan to do? Give me a tan?” Noctis lifted his wrist up to eye level. Yup, pasty white. 

“Ah, but that would be spoiling the surprise, my dear. You shall see, tomorrow.” 

“Of course you’d say that,” Noctis grumbled, mostly to himself. He drummed fingers over his thigh and thought about all the drinks he was going to need after the call.

A Galdin Quay iced tea, maybe two.

“It was merely a recommendation. If you don’t wish to follow my advice, then by all means,  _ Noct, you’re not required to. _ ” And even through the phone, Noctis could practically see the shit-eating grin on Ardyn’s face. 

“Maybe if you told me why it’s a recommendation, I’d consider it.”

“Ah, I had all but forgotten how impatient youth is,” Ardyn tutted. “Why don’t we make it our little mystery, only until tomorrow of course. I seem to recall you being quite fond of those, your Highness.”

Noctis palm rose against his forehead and he leaned on it. “You know as well as I do that’s bullshit, but if you don’t want to tell me, then fine. Don’t.” 

“Very well, I shall leave you be then. Goodnight, _ Noct… I will see you tomorrow. _ ” 

“Tomorrow,” he repeated after Ardyn in the way of a goodbye, mostly to himself as the call ended and the silence left him feeling oddly cold. 

 

\--

 

The thing about Galdin Quay -- besides the tourist trap part and the fresh fish part -- was the rumour that it served the best, most intoxicating cocktails within the whole of Leide, maybe Duscae, maybe even Insomnia. It tickled his curiosity, and though Noctis really hadn’t had much of an opportunity to test this theory and get absolutely smashed during life, in death things did change. 

For one, Galdin Quay didn’t even exist in the Beyond, not as an actual place. Noctis had tried to leave Insomnia, back when he was still disgruntled a certain ex-Accursed’s soul had been allowed in with the rest of them. He’d found the edge of the world and crossed past to a land of blissful white nothing where he’d floated for Astral’s knew how long before turning back.

“This is only one of the Citadels where souls gather,” Luna had said, one late afternoon, between drinks and laughs. “There’s many others, and between them, the void.”

Noctis had nodded but crossed his arms against his chest and tipped his head back defiantly. “It didn’t  _ feel  _ like the void.”

“Of course it didn’t.” That was Ravus, sitting back in the shadows, eyes flashing. “‘The void’ is a misnomer.  _ The void _ is whatever you make of it. So you want everlasting peace? You dip in the void and there it is. You want -- you think you want to suffer for everything you did in life? You get that too.”

Noctis hadn’t asked how Ravus knew all of this. He’d seen the way his gauntlet twitched and sunk on the table, gouging the wood.

So, even though Galdin Quay didn’t _ technically _ exist, Noctis had been there a couple times already. To the not-really-Galdin Quay-void from his memories; to the sandy white beach and the fishing pier that wasn’t yet torn asunder by daemons. To the masses of faceless tourists and sometimes, to his own friends; to Prompto laughing at Iggy’s joke; to Gladio’s insisting they camp instead of staying at the hotel… but like a lifesized cardboard cutout, they didn’t feel quite real, not like the ache in Noctis’ chest was. 

Still, the drinks he’d brought back were usually worth it.

Noctis nursed a tall glass against his palm. He sat on his own tiny kitchen in little more than underwear.

Little ice cubes floated in his drink and he watched them without much interest. The iced tea was cold and sweet and burned down his throat with every sip he took and that,  _ that _ was what he’d been looking for. Not the pain, but the lightheadedness and the slight euphoria that came with being tipsy.

He re-read the exchange with Ardyn over and over again, leaning his elbows on the table and huffing at the way Ardyn had played him so _ very nicely _ . “My king?” Noctis slurred the words. “My king my fucking ass.” He leaned his head down, closer to his phone’s screen and smiled at the text nonetheless. If Ardyn had meant to manipulate him -- which-- fuck, it was Ardyn, he probably did-- then Noctis couldn’t imagine a better way than this.

_ My king. _

Heat pooled between Noctis’ thighs and he parted them enough that his growing erection tented against his boxers. Fuck. Hissing, he downed the rest of his Galdin Quay iced tea -- too cold, too hot -- and stood in a single motion that left him feeling dizzy. The corners of his eyes blurred and he cursed again, because shit, he wasn’t even drunk and the room swayed with every step he took. 

Bypassing the couch and the pile of clothes on the floor, Noctis collapsed on his bed with a groan. Warm and comfortable, he tugged the sheets over himself and curled on his side -- legs stretched and the weight of fabric familiar over his entire body. Although the curtains were pulled open, no light streamed from a sleeping Insomnia, and only a blissful darkness that spoke nothing of daemons nor the starscourge.

In his head, Noctis’ thoughts slowed. He’d always been a sleepy drunk -- sleepy and careless and the type to pass out in dark corners or the middle of the room during parties. And now it was sometime past midnight and the taste of alcohol hung heavy in his tongue, and there were memories of Ardyn’s voice purring in his ear and his own throbbing dick to contend with.

_ My king. _

If doing it once wasn’t usual, this…  Noctis’ couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to jerk off twice in a day. But those two words rung in his mind as he slipped fingers in his underwear, stroking the already sensitive length of his cock absently. Wrapping his palm around the base of it, he squeezed and bit back a gasp.

_ My king. _

It was both quick and lazy, just a few tugs -- little breathless moans and gasps as he palmed oversensitive flesh -- before Noctis was wiping his hand clean on the sheets. Bangs of hair clung to his forehead and he shook them off before pressing his face to the pillow, breathing in the scent of sweat and sex. Tired didn’t feel like the right word to describe how he felt, in the aftermath of his orgasm, more like… empty. 

Empty and craving something else altogether.

He’d sleep -- he needed to, exhaustion settled deep in his muscles made worse by the drinks he’d had -- and when tomorrow came, he’d probably figure everything else. If not, well it was not too late to tell Ardyn to fuck off to his face or to try and drown him in the lake by the willow trees.

Noctis actually choked a raspy laugh at the thought. His hands moved against his chest, his breathing evened and his lips curled upward with a grin. Yeah, he could do it. Only Ardyn would probably come back and ask for more, knowing the man.

_ You got this, champ,  _ Gladio’s voice was a whisper in his mind when Noctis fell asleep. So was Iggy’s, telling him he really needed to change the sheets, and soon. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ardyn has a few thoughts and Noctis has brunch.

Ardyn eased back in his armchair. One hand still held the length of his cock -- fingers curving over its width -- the other balanced his phone and neither moved to steady himself down onto the cushions. His knees parted slightly and he adjusted by sinking further down until his ass was at the edge of the seat. 

That his trousers were a bundle of green and blue stripes tangled around his ankles wasn’t much of a surprise given the ludicrous “dick pic”. But still, there was something vaguely amusing and entirely unexpected in the way his cock twitched when he stopped to consider Noctis’ reaction to it; to his words and to the honesty the chosen king would never believe in. In his head -- and despite the fact that he didn’t know Noctis nearly as well as he would’ve liked to -- Ardyn still saw him grow red and hot and bothered and it was such an interesting mental image.

And such an arousing image, too.

_ Oh. Isn’t this quite a sight? Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? Noctis bared for you… to tear asunder… into pieces. _

Ardyn ignored his own thoughts without batting an eye. It was a thing he’d grown accustomed to -- to that raw and bleeding part of him; to the little piece that even after being purged of the Starscourge; even in this beautiful and useless Beyond; even in death, it still resented everything and everyone, it loathed the world, and in particular, Noctis.

But that was a sliver of darkness, a shred of a voice, of thoughts he didn’t feel inclined to listen to anymore. 

Besides, there were such wonderful parts of his plan to still set into motion… And given Noctis’ flustered reactions to their text conversation, there was no way he would’ve guessed Ardyn knew  _ everything _ about the bet. That he’d been the one to talk to a  _ certain _ Nox Fleuret about it. That he’d been the one to push the idea onward until it became a reality -- and really, Noctis was far from the only one to drink with the siblings; did he think he was so special? Or that’d it’d been too difficult to convince Luna of his intentions? 

Because what Ardyn had told her hadn’t been a lie, and in another life, that would’ve terrified him. Now he just went with it, with the pleasure rocking through his body and the way his nails scraped the inside of his thighs as his hand moved over his dick. With the knowledge that he wanted more than Noctis’ body -- that he wanted his heart as well --  and whether or not that was achievable, it wouldn’t stop him from trying. 

Or from concocting the most ridiculously convoluted excuse for a bet to get into his pants.

_ And into his heart. Destroy him. _

Ardyn hissed, teeth sunk into his own lip until a strain of sharp, metallic pain flooded his mouth. His phone fell somewhere between the flaps of his coat and ruffles of his undershirt and tumbled to the floor; and instead of reaching for it again, he gripped the chair arm with his free hand and focused on ignoring the flickers of pitch black anger in his mind. It wasn’t too difficult, not with the idea that maybe Noctis had touched himself to the sight of Ardyn’s cock. 

Or maybe Noctis had touched himself to Ardyn’s text; to the blatant honesty in them. And wasn’t that an erotic thought. That maybe Noctis wanted him, too.

Mouth parting, Ardyn’s back arched as blissful heat jolted up his body. Gripping the base of his dick between his fingers firmly, he forced himself to turn, slightly, until his clothed shoulder was firmly wedged against the back of the chair and one of knees was drawn up and over its side. It would’ve been easier to just move to the luxuriously wide bed across the room, but then, Ardyn was loathe to ignore a challenge.

He shook the pants off his feet, groaning thickly when the movement had him precariously off balance. For better or worse, Ardyn’s clothes were heavy enough that they kept him from collapsing. His ass was half in the air, and he let go of his dick just so he could trace the tips of his fingers against the outside of it. Oh it’d be too long since he’d even wanted to do this. He shuddered at the sensation, at the not-quite-painful-as-uncomfortable burn when he pushed the tip of his finger inside without lube.

“Noctis…” Ardyn’s own voice rang inside his head, breathless and hoarse.

If he imagined Noctis doing this to him; if he practically saw it happen when he closed his eyes, well, could anyone really blame him? Hadn’t he suffered enough? Nimble and precise, he found his prostate and keened low in his throat the blissful waves that crashed through him as he fucked himself, as he milked himself, while still stroking his cock -- if somewhat awkwardly given his position on the chair.

It took almost too long. Ardyn felt a blazing, fierce heat envelop him with every little jab of his finger onto his prostate. Sweat ran down his spine, across the underside of his knees. Semen leaked down the length of his dick and cooled on the chair under him, but as good as it felt, it wasn’t really an orgasm and Ardyn didn’t stop until his muscles clenched hard around his finger and he rode the chair; until the pad of his thumb brushed over the head of his dick and all of a sudden he was pulling out.

A lazy, pleased smile stretched across his face. His tongue brushed his top lip as he fought to control his breath. It was difficult not to end it right there, but then, didn’t time make everything better? He’d wanted more than just a quickie.

The heel of Ardyn’s hand glided over his cock. A single touch and he might as well just give the pretense of control over. But instead of allowing himself the pleasure, he clenched his hand to a fist and waited for his orgasm to recede. For the sensation to fade just a little. Only once it was relatively safe -- and he wasn’t about to come at the drop of a hat -- did Ardyn move again. His entire body shuddered with effort as he slipped the same finger inside his ass and kept his free hand away from his dick, gripping the chair’s arms instead. Nails sunk into the colourful fabric so hard there would be gouges to sew shut. But later. Much later.

For now Ardyn enjoyed it: the fire roaring inside him; the blunt end of his finger tapping against his prostate so hard it should bruise; the way his dick reacted to the lack of contact, straining over his inner thigh; the way he thought, maybe Noctis would be the one teasing him… and how  _ beautiful that’d be _ .

In the end, he forced another finger into him, gasping and groaning and crying out as it sunk inside, inch by inch. Ardyn didn’t bother being quiet anymore. There was no one in the room; no one to see or hear him. He didn’t scream, but he wasn’t silent either: the stretch burned, and the sheer pressure on his prostate had him moaning. He imagined Noctis’ cock inside him; imagined riding the chosen king; imagined… oh. He was so close again.

When he finally came, it was without touching himself, less of a real orgasm and more of… something else he didn’t have the words for. Ardyn’s entire body froze in the aftermath. He slumped back, half on the chair, half sinking down to the floor. His head lolled back against his shoulder and he sighed. His breath was warm and ticklish down his arm.

Yes. He’d have to try this out sometime with the chosen king. Would have to play the game just right to get what he wanted.

_ Or what you think you want? You know better than to-- _

“I’m so very tired of listening to you, scourge.” His throat was raw and he growled when he finally moved, crouching to his knees. Everything ached, and that did include his heart. “Leave now.”

 

\---

 

In a way, it might be amusing. In every other way? Noctis found it especially infuriating and especially reprehensible that  _ someone _ had dragged him out of bed for early brunch. Moreso now that this _ someone _ smiled knowingly from under the tree’s shadows -- across the table from where he sat -- as she plucked a sweet roll from Noctis’ plate and bit into it. 

It  _ was _ a beautiful morning. There was no denying it. Which was, of course, part of the problem. The sun rose into a cloudless sky. A myriad of plant life surrounded them -- a watercolour blur of green and yellow and blue stretching in every direction through leaves and little flowers peppering the bushes; and crisp white from the benches and the ornate tables in the middle of the garden. It was far too bright and far too idyllic for Noctis’ hangover to deal with. 

When a faint and warm breeze ruffled Noctis hair, he scowled softly in Luna and Ravus direction. 

He’d woken barely half an hour earlier, dazed and with a persistent ringing in his ears. Though that’d turned out to be  _ only _ his doorbell and not his phone, Noctis still had taken about five minutes to get himself together -- and not stark naked -- before answering the door. Even then, he’d clung to consciousness by a thread. Honestly, if that had been Ardyn, Noctis thought he might have passed out right there and then. Instead, Luna had gaped at him, and smirked, and given him a little thumbs up before pushing past him and into Noctis’ living room.

Noctis had barely been able to contain a groan that was half despair and entirely pained. 

He still didn’t feel any better: not about Ardyn; not about their conversation; certainly not about the bet or the picture Ardyn had sent him and most definitely not about having to _ eat _ . 

Every glance down at his plate and Noctis’ stomach rumbled and his guts tightened; the hunger he felt mingled with the nausea and the brain-melting headache. There were little sweet-glazed pastries and bread rolls and even some strips of bacon poking out of the edges, and he wanted _ pretty much none  _ of it. 

“You know,” Noctis started, working around the dryness in his throat. “You didn’t have to do this. I’m not…” He pushed his plate forward, in Luna’s direction. He watched her take another bread roll from it before passing it to Ravus. “If I take another look at that I’m gonna puke.” 

It wasn’t a lie. Noctis’ belly roiled. He winced and nearly buckled forward at the acidy sensation that shot up his chest when he straightened in his chair. Sunlight streamed through the canopy above them, dancing across his skin, and even its warmth it didn’t quite manage to warm the shivers away, either.

“How much did you drink?” Ravus asked. He sat the furthest from Noctis, lounging back as he ate, and that was probably the most relaxed Noctis had ever seen him. But then, dying had a funny way of messing with people.

“No idea, I...” Noctis didn’t want to finish that sentence.

Luna had her most knowing smile plastered on her face. She munched on something that might’ve been some sort of Tenebrae dessert, if Noctis’ memory served him right. “Is there something troubling you?” she asked, but it was firm and unsubtle, the way of a statement, not a question.

_ Of course not. _ Noctis kicked one foot up, letting the heel of his boot rest on the edge of the table. _ I’m perfectly fucking fine, can’t you see that? Just about dying here, but fine,  _ he thought and a voice that sounded just like Prompto’s laughed in his head, carefree and  _ amused _ . Fucker.

“I really don’t know how you do it,” Noctis grumbled instead of answering her. He rolled his shoulders in a shrug that sent waves of queasiness rolling through him. “It’s like you can see right through me. I guess it’s the… whole oracle thing, even in this place.”

_ Or maybe it’s that you look like you’ve been run over by a dozen Garulas and left for dead,  _ Gladio interjected, drawling the words in Noctis’ thoughts. 

Luna nodded swiftly. She took what looked like an apple from a basket on the ground next to her and inspected it. “There is a connection, even the Beyond can’t erase the fact that you were -- are, a  _ Chosen king  _ and that I was your oracle.  But that’s not why I invited you here. Or why I was at your apartment earlier.”

Muscles stiffened in the back of Noctis’ neck. He sat a little straighter, ignoring the sensations and the physical pain that assaulted him at every movement; ignoring the way the chair’s back dug into him. There were so many things that Luna couldn’t know, that Noctis would never dare reveal to her.  _ Selfish and foolish _ , perhaps, but Ardyn was right at the top of that list.

“You really should make it simpler for him, sister. Look at his face, he’s probably too ill to follow any of it.”

“You’re right, Ravus.” With her free hand, Luna reached for Ravus’ metallic hand and squeezed it between her fingers. “You do look a little… green, Noctis.” 

Noctis shuddered in a way that had nothing to do with the display of affection he’d just witnessed. His jaw clenched shut and he exhaled slowly through his nose, trying to work around the discomfort inside him, all the while waiting for an explanation to whatever  _ was _ happening.

“Last night I received a call from a certain Ardyn Lucis Caelum.” She pulled her hands back, dropping the apple on the table and crossing both arms against her chest. There was a glint in her eyes but Noctis had no idea what it meant. “He seemed under the impression I’d put you up to something involving  text messages and pictures?” Another not-question. “And that I was the reason for whatever you agreed to do with him.”

In a way, Noctis supposed it was Luna’s fault, not that he’d ever accuse her of such a thing. After all, she’d been the one to come up with the bet -- or at least, one of the first and most certainly the  _ one _ to tell him it.

This time, Noctis couldn’t stop himself from wincing, not even when he had to slide a palm against his mouth to stop the nausea. Somewhere deep inside of him, Prompto chuckled again and it rang clear as day in Noctis’ ears, it made his head hurt worse.  _ Yeah right, you just got owned, bro.  _

_ Indeed.  _ That he had to be insane to be hearing his friend’s voices in his head was something Noctis was beyond the point of caring about. Especially when he saw Ignis sucking his teeth and shaking his head at him. 

_ Right. Fine sure, I got owned. _

Noctis closed his eyes, reached to rub the corner of his face with his knuckles, right where his skin felt taut and damp. When he opened them again, Instead of Ignis, Prompto or any of them, he watched Luna -- and Ravus, though his stony features barely moved -- gape at him curiously.    


“I’m fine,” Noctis replied automatically, before either of them could speak. “I mean, not _ fine _ , but I’m okay.”  _ I’ll be okay _ , he heard himself think and he dearly hoped that was the truth. “Ardyn rung me last night and he invited me to hang out with him today, I guess. That’s all the happened.” 

Although “hanging out”  might not be the best or most accurate explanation, Noctis remembered Ardyn’s purr -- and he remembered the way his body reacted to it -- and he didn’t quite feel like explaining further. He remembered the words, one by one; the way Ardyn had him wrapped around his little finger with just the sound of his voice. Noctis remembered and cursed himself for wanting  _ more. _

“And I suppose you agreed,” Ravus said and under his passive demeanour, something sharp and angry unfurled, accusatory. He grimaced as he picked up his fork and took the last piece of bacon from his plate.

Luna looked between them. “As he should have.”

And immediately, the way both Ravus and Luna stared at each other, it was something Noctis had never wanted to get between. He saw, or felt -- through the connection that linked them still -- the way Luna tensed, the way her fingertips curved against the fabric of her sleeve, sinking against her wrist. 

Noctis also felt -- in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with the Chosen King or his oracle -- the tension grow thicker, so physical he could’ve slashed it through with his Armiger. 

_ Yeah, you better stand back.  _ Thanks Gladio _. I totally hadn’t noticed that… _

“That man -- hells, he’s not a man -- that daemon. He may be here with the rest of us, and Six above know why, but you ought to be more careful than to simply agree to meet him without thinking of the consequences,” Ravus growled the words. “He’s not to be trusted. He will tell you something and betray you the next moment.”

“He has been purged of the scourge which had plagued him for over a thousand years.” Luna was a portrait of quiet fury, directed entirely at Ravus -- and Noctis was so very glad for that. “Or are you diminishing Noctis’ work? His own sacrifice?”

Promise not to intervene aside, Noctis sighed. A thick knot rose in his throat, heavy and dark. “I don’t think that’s what Ravus meant. And yeah, I probably shouldn’t have agreed, I…” Noctis stopped himself from saying it out loud. 

_ You wanted to, so why not admit to that already. There is nothing wrong with it _ , he thought and there was shame and guilt and sheer  _ need _ mingling in his head. 

No. He couldn’t. Maybe the same way Ravus could never forgive Ardyn. Maybe not.

The tension dissipated, not quite in a flash, but rolling slowly through him, until he could appreciate the beauty of the garden, the birds tweeting in the branches, the bugs buzzing around them and all the natural bullshit that accompanied their brunch.

“I do know the reason for your animosity,” Luna said. Exhaling, Noctis realized that she had experienced the same as him and that sought to make peace with her brother, desperately. It was like a tug in his chest he hadn’t wanted to feel. “But you do have to realize that he is not the same monster you faced.”

Luna’s hands rose to brush a lock of snow-white hair away from Ravus’ face and weird throb in the back of his head had Noctis turning away from the scene, to glance up at the lush canopies around them, at the way flowering vines entwined through old thick tree trunks. Although he didn’t see it with his own eyes, the moment’s intimacy still flowed through him and ached in his guts. Noctis missed them -- Prompto and his contagious smile; Specs’ food; Gladio’s companionship… -- more than his own life. But there was no going back.    


“You’re right sister. I apologize.” Noctis heard Ravus say, snapping him out of the daydream. “To you, and to Noctis.” There was a strain in his tone, like it hurt to speak these words. “It was not my intention to slight either of your sacrifices.”

Noctis turned back in time to see Ravus straighten from a slight bow, to see his prosthetic twitch when he rested it across his lap and the meaningful glance Luna shot him. Because Ravus had given his life to ensure Noctis’ success too -- or at the very least, he’d tried.

“You don’t have to. Ardyn’s a fucking piece of work.” And wasn’t that easy to admit.  _ Yes _ , yes it was. “And I mean, you’re right, Luna, he might’ve changed, but he’s still an asshole.” Tapping fingers against his knee, Noctis considered getting out of the “date” or whatever the fuck it was. It wouldn’t be too hard: just don’t show up and be forever harassed by Ardyn, right?

_ Perhaps, although you should be honest with your own feelings, Noctis. And: shut the fuck up, Iggy. _

“An ‘asshole’ you should not underestimate.” It was oddly funny, to hear Ravus speak so easily after getting used to the permanently stuck up side of him. “Be careful, Noctis.”

“Trust me, you don’t need to tell me that twice,” Noctis replied and managed a little smile at Ravus’ surprising concern. In the back of his skull, pain thrummed in time with his heartbeat and for a second, he wished he could just sink into his chair and not move for the rest of the day. 

Which would’ve been nice, if the sun didn’t sit directly above them marking the arrival of noon. And if Noctis didn’t realize that he really  _ really _ needed to move before he started growing roots and -- or -- was slain by Ardyn for being late.

Was it possible to die in death? Noctis didn’t really want to be the one find out. Even if the thought of being manhandled by Ardyn did creep into his mind…

He stood. Shaky at first, holding his abdomen with one hand as the sudden upward movement had him nearly toppling over the table. Calves feeling like pudding, he managed a couple steps backward before both Luna and Ravus slid off their seats and helped him not fall on his face.

“Noctis--”

“I’m okay, just still hungover, I guess.” Luna’s arms were around his chest in a hug of sorts, holding him gently in place while Ravus propped him up. Noctis shivered at the prosthetic’s icy touch even through his shirt. Colder than he remembered. “Do any of you have potions left, I ran out a while back.”

Not to mention, curatives weren’t strictly needed in the Beyond. Not usually. Not if Noctis hadn’t been an idiot, as everyone in his head had already pointed out.  _ ‘Cause we’re right and you know it. _

Although Luna was the one to nod, she dug through Ravus’ coat pocket for the little colourless vial Noctis had grown so acquainted with and offered it to him. “It’s not much,” she said. “But it should help.” 

And it did. Lips wrapping over the potion’s rim, Noctis sipped from it -- it stunk disgustingly over-sweet, like medicine or one of the beverages Gladio was always going on about ( _ it’s called root beer, asshole _ ) -- and he grimaced at its flavour. He’d have to scrub his tongue later. For now, he was more than content to content in the way strength -- fire-like in its intensity -- flooded his body. It licked at his bones, his muscles, coursing through his veins in a way that was not even close to painful as it was rejuvenating. And so damn gross-tasting.

All of a sudden, Noctis was aware of the way Ravus _ still  _ touched him and recalled a certain morning that they both regretted and that he didn’t want to consider ever again -- it’d been a drunken mistake, anyway. Carefully, he tugged the prosthetic away from his skin and stepped forward, putting a reasonable distance between them. 

Noctis  _ did _ reach to squeeze Ravus shoulder, and he  _ did _ smile up at him and he  _ did _ feel thankful for his help. Like what’d happened with Luna, they just had never thought of each other  _ like that. _

“You should’ve asked earlier,” Luna said as Noctis gagged around a quiet ‘thanks’, still fighting the awful taste in his mouth. “I’m sure there’s more back at the palace--”

Noctis interrupted her. “It’s fine, I really need to get going if I don’t want Ardyn to give me more crap.” And they all knew that’d happen, one way or another. Didn’t they?

Instead of fighting his departure -- which Noctis wasn’t sure he would’ve minded them to do -- Luna had gathered the plates they’d left behind and all of the bits of uneaten food and started to pack up while Ravus fixed the chairs in place. 

They were like a team and that had the forlorn longing flooding right back. Along with the memories of camping with his friends, so strong that he could practically feel the three of them in these gardens with him. At those, Noctis’ hadn’t smiled.

Luna bid him goodbye, Ravus was silent but the tilt of his head spoke wonders. And they waved, sure, but even with the sun blazing and the generally lovely day, and the potion’s effects, Noctis’ felt a cold dread knotting his guts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be some (FINALLY!!!) ardynoct content (and smut hehe) next chapter. :'D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope this is suitably Ardynoct-y for everyone's who's been waiting (and there's like, fluffy fluff coming after jfc, Noctis PLEASE)!

The chill didn’t last very long.

And Ardyn’s request, Noctis realized, hadn’t been a lie at all. Above him and a tiny spec up in the sky, the sun bore down mightily, heating through Noctis’-- black, how very smart -- clothes and making him feel like he was being roasted alive. He barely resisted the urge to tear his jacket off: damn Ardyn and his accurate weather predictions. 

After exiting past the trees, past mighty dark green bushes and twirling vines obscuring part of the palace, Noctis found himself in a mostly unknown, mostly grassy area of the gardens with nothing but his hands to shield himself from the sunlight. 

“Fuck me.”  _ Indeed, _ Noctis thought in a familiar accent.  _ Indeed. _

Although Ardyn may have asked him to come out here, Noctis still wandered aimlessly -- through fields of nothing but endless green -- hoping that at the very least, he’d spot Ardyn before he dehydrated, burned to a crisp… or was ambushed by the man. Either way wouldn’t be pleasant, though Noctis couldn’t quite decide if he’d rather die or face Ardyn again.

Not that there was much of a choice now. He’d agreed and he’d come -- been dragged all the way out here, so he might as well get it over with. Besides, it was a nice -- if scorching hot day. And Noctis did need the fresh air; the slight breeze; the sensation of grass blades tickling his ankles and bugs crawling up his legs. He’d needed all of it, even if his hangover screamed otherwise, which it  _ did _ , like a sledgehammer to the back of his head.

Noctis was about to flop down in a particularly lush spot, in the shadow of a single -- slightly taller and wide leafy bush -- when a sound reached his ears. It was both entirely foreign and somewhat familiar-- reminded him of…Noctis shook his head. Of that fateful night and that fateful battle between two kings; of when Ardyn had whispered dying words to him and...

A shiver shot up Noctis back. He stood straighter and slowly and quietly although probably not overly stealthily, he followed all the grunting sounds back to their source.

And he promptly  _ died _ . Well, he thought he might’ve died, the way despite the sun little goosebumps spread across his skin and his heart must’ve skipped a beat, or two or three, because Noctis just couldn’t feel it in his chest. He couldn’t feel or do much of anything but stare -- mouth open, eyes wide and unblinking --  at Ardyn.

Holy shit.

When Noctis took a step forward, his eyes didn’t move from Ardyn, following his every little movement. He was close enough that Ardyn should’ve seen him if he wasn’t focused on whatever he was doing.

Noctis’ tongue worked across his bottom lip. After a little moment, his mouth fell shut and he bit down the inside of his cheek to keep himself from gasping. It really was a sight he’d never thought he’d see. And maybe that wasn’t a fair comparison, but even Ardyn’s dick pic hadn’t made him feel like self-combusting, like burning to ashes on the spot, or like turning away and forgetting the entire morning so far. 

Because Ardyn hadn’t  _ just _ ditched the coat. He’d also taken off the impossible number of layers he’d always worn under the coat: there were no ruffles in sight; no scarfs or shawls. Not even a hint of a belt or the weird pseudo-corset he seemed to wear. Instead, he wore -- what?  _ Is that a black tank top? _ Noctis thought and this time, it was all him in his own head. Either way, whatever Ardyn had decided to wear, Noctis could see his collarbone peeking between the straps of his top, he could see his pale arms in the distance and that instead of his pinstriped trousers, Ardyn had opted to wear matching black jeans that hugged his legs and his ass and Noctis stopped breathing.

And yelped when his backside hit the grass.  _ You’ll bruise if you’re not more careful, Noctis _ . Yes. Noctis did know that and yet, the information wasn’t of much use when his legs had given up under him. He pressed his hand against the ground and forced himself to kneel up in time to see Ardyn glance over.

There was a smile on Ardyn’s face.

“Oh, I see you’ve finally decided to join me, Noct,” Ardyn said in that smooth and slightly lecherous way of his. “You were slightly late, so alas, I’ve had to start without you.” 

At the slightly confused frown on Noctis’ face, Ardyn waved one arm knowingly at the area around them. The ground had been tilled in a square closer to where Ardyn stood -- a hoe was stabbed into the ground beside him. Upon closer inspection, he saw a hint of green and blue peeking through the surface, and between Ardyn’s gloved fingers, flower petals.

Noctis recognized them immediately. His stomach twisted and he exhaled, trying to fight the urge to flee -- because none of it was right. It made sense, if by sense he meant he understood why Ardyn might want to atone for what he’d done and why he might want to plant a field of sylleblossoms here.

It also hurt. A lot. 

Ardyn must’ve seen the look on his face, because he paused and placed the flowers down, and straightened, wiping a bead of sweat from his face with his forearm. “You don’t have to help if you don’t wish to. However, I would’ve expected a little more than that from you.” 

“Like hell you did,” Noctis voice was tight. “You got me here so you could torment me a little more with--” Shaking his head, he continued, “with this? Or did you just expect I’d get here and what? Do some  _ gardening  _ with you?” 

“Must we really go back to that?” Ardyn’s peeled the gloves off his hands, one at a time. His hair was damp, Noctis noticed, and fell against his neck and over his shoulders. “I simply requested your presence here and you did agree to it. As far as I remember, I did nothing to force you to  _ come _ .”

Noctis sucked in a breath. True.  _ Not to mention, Ravus and Luna warned you about this, idiot.  _

“So holding that picture over my head isn’t forcing me?” 

Damned Astrals, this was going even worse than Noctis could’ve foreseen. But then again, this was Ardyn and  _ what exactly were you thinking? That he was going to just fall head over heels for you and take you on a romantic outing?  _ Gladio remarked harshly. Noctis almost rolled his eyes at the thought. He agreed,  _ he really did _ . 

He scrambled backwards, back on his ass when Ardyn stepped forward, carefully as to avoid crushing the sylleblossoms that had already been planted. That he was getting dirt on his trousers and that they’d be a bitch to clean didn’t even register in Noctis’ mind.

“You asked for it,” Ardyn replied. “I’ve explained this already, but since you don’t seem to get it, darling, it goes like this: you asked me for something and I’ve so generously deigned to accept your request; I asked you for something and you did the same. No?”

_ He’s right, you just-. _ Ignis said, and was interrupted by Gladio. _ Besides, you do want to be here, don’t you? Just fucking man up.  _

Another truth. Besides, by now Ardyn was close enough that Noctis saw the way his muscles flexed and the way his top rode up his hips when he knelt down, revealing his surprisingly toned and not-so-surprisingly scarred abdomen. If he wasn’t already sitting, Noctis might’ve fallen all over again. Instead, he swallowed down the pressure in his throat, the lump in his windpipe that refused to budge. He hadn’t been this close to the man since-- hell, since back then. And back then he’d wanted nothing more than to end it.

Now, well, things  _ did _ change. _ As they should, _ he heard Luna’s voice and saw her smile in his head. Fucking damnit.

At Noctis’ silence, Ardyn spoke again. “As you can see, I am right. However, I won’t force you to do any  _ gardening _ , as you put it. And if you wish, you may even leave.” He was maybe a foot from Noctis, with his hands on the ground by Noctis’ legs. “Although I have to say, I was hoping you’d explain to me why you wanted a picture of something quite so… _ scandalous _ .”

Just like Noctis had imagined during their phone conversation, that shit-eating grin fit right on Ardyn’s face. His lips curled upward and Noctis wished for nothing else to wipe it off-- with his own mouth. No wait.

“No reason,” Noctis managed a half grunt that turned into a squeak when Ardyn’s finger traced the front of Noctis trousers and what the fuck was even happening? He bucked up against the touch -- featherlight, barely a hint of pressure -- and glared in time to see Ardyn’s hand pull away. At the sight, Noctis’ whole body shuddered.

“Now, now. You can’t really expect me to believe that, now, can you _Noct_?” _And_ there it was again, that damn velvety purring, so damn close. Although he didn’t say it, Noctis’ could imagine Ardyn’s other choice of words: _look at you, such a liar. So obvious for all to see.  Why don’t you just give in, little king?_

“You can believe whatever you damn want to!” Noctis sounded strangled to his own ears and he knew Ardyn was right. He was a fucking liar. “If you asked me here to play some fucking twisted game, then guess what? You’re out of luck.”

Instead of reacting, Ardyn pulled back -- only slightly -- and Noctis saw him cock his head and look at him as if he was alien. There was apprehension in his gaze, and something else too-- something sharper. Pain?

Never.

And then Noctis was being pushed backwards. Shoulders hitting the ground, he groaned and fought, or tried to, but found it difficult when all of Ardyn’s weight was bearing down on him. “Oh _ Noct _ ,” Ardyn hissed the words. “If I wanted this to be a game, I would’ve not bothered with any of these.” He waved back at the flowers and tools behind them. “Have you ever tried to garden? Of course not.”

_ Just give in. Just do it. _

“Because that isn’t the right way to fuck with me,” Noctis shot back. “Those flowers… you know what they mean. You have to  _ know _ . You fucking  _ killed _ her and you’re fucking twisting--”

“Perhaps you may want to be quiet for a moment, darling.” Ardyn’s legs straddled Noctis to the bed of grass and he pushed one hand hard on his chest. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

And sure, maybe that was true, but it didn’t stop Noctis from struggling. He hooked one foot over Ardyn’s ankle and tried to force him off him, somehow. Luna-- hell Ravus had been right, he shouldn’t have made it so easy for Ardyn to get him. Shouldn’t have let his dick take over the saner thoughts in his head or been so enthralled by a damn bet. Fuck. 

“Fuck off,” Noctis spat. 

He expected pain. He really did. Out of -- maybe a vain self-preservation instinct -- his eyes squeezed shut and he braced himself for getting the shit beaten out of him and for fighting back whenever Ardyn moved off him. Instead, he felt a palm sliding across his cheek and there really was no trying to hide the fact he’d just flinched. Violently. 

“I’ve told you already.” Lips brushed his earlobe. Was he dreaming or something?  _ Nope _ . “If you want to leave, then you’re free to do so. Why not simply try asking, dearest?”

And then, that annoying throaty click was there, in his mind.  _ Only you don’t want to leave him, do you? There’s nothing quite wrong with that… not exactly. (What the fuck you goin’ on about.There’s plenty wrong with wanting to bone Ardyn.) _

“No I… What do you want from me?” And what a stupid question that was.

Stupid enough Ardyn repeated it right back at him, whispering it into his ear, pronouncing every syllable low and smooth, in a way that sent heat pooling to Noctis’ crotch. “What do you want from  _ me _ , dear Noctis?”

The tips of Ardyn’s fingers slid down Noctis’ chest, over the black shirt, ignoring his belt and pressing down over the tenting bulge in his trousers. For a whole, very long moment, Noctis thought he  _ must _ be dreaming. There was no way this was real, in death, in the beyond or not. There was just no way Ardyn was playing him so perfectly, and that he was about to-- Oh shit. Lips brushed his jaw, hair tickled his mouth and Noctis blinked away the shadow that covered him when Ardyn moved.

“You,” he breathed out. “I want you.” 

It was easier to let it slip out that he’d thought and a weight lifted off his shoulders. Although maybe that was just the way Ardyn adjusted his weight over him or the disappointment when his hand pulled away from Noctis’ cock.

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

A hand cupped his erection, kneading down against his clothed cock and Noctis groaned at the sharpness of it. It was almost too much, too good. Lifting one arm, he reached -- albeit still tentative, half unsure -- to grip Ardyn’s shoulder, pulling his chest down onto him. And, as if he hadn’t just been the one with the upper hand, Ardyn let him. Their bodies moved together and Noctis leaned forward to graze his teeth over the exposed skin across Ardyn’s neck. His tongue lapped over scar tissue and he almost pulled away, to ask-- to make sure he wasn’t the one pushing further than comfortable. 

But then, Ardyn had his hand moving up and under Noctis’ shirt, palm flat against his sweat-slicked skin. In a flurry of movement, Noctis’ coat was pulled off and thrown somewhere nearby, followed by his belt, and suddenly the breeze caressed his forearms, his lower belly… his hips. A tingly sensation settled deep in his guts and Noctis pulled away and looked down to see Ardyn tugging at his trousers, rolling them down his thighs and his legs until they too got discarded somewhere and there was only underwear between his cock and Ardyn’s hands.

Even without his coat in the way, Noctis’ whined softly at Ardyn’s clothes; rather, the fact he hadn’t pulled them off yet. His fingers curled over the straps of Ardyn’s top and he tugged them down until he bared his chest. There, Noctis saw more scars than he thought possible: lines upon lines covered Ardyn’s skin, some deeper, some pink and raised and some white and old. If there was a pattern to it all, Noctis didn’t discern it.

Especially not when his dick throbbed in his boxers and Ardyn’s palm ghosted over it, barely close enough to feel.

“I guess it’d be easier to admit to wanting you if you actually did something, asshole,” Noctis voice was a breathy moan as he let go of one of Ardyn’s nipples he’d just touched just so he could grip Ardyn’s wrist and guide his hand down onto his cock. Oh yes. 

“As I’ve told you before, all you need to do is ask.”

At the contact, Noctis’ hips bucked up. It was shameful -- too wanton, too dirty of him. When had he ever been this needy? His knuckles slowly turned white and he grunted with effort even as he forced Ardyn’s palm in place; even as he rocked relentlessly against it.

“Although I have to say, maybe you should learn some patience.”

Ardyn’s barely had to tug to break free from Noctis’ grasp and to swat him away. His fingers traced the waistband of Noctis’ underwear and his nails raked across Noctis’ pelvis, moving lower, dipping under fabric, only to return without even brushing his cock.

“And maybe you should learn not to be such a damned tease.” But it was still better than he could’ve foreseen and the heat that burned inside of him, that seeped through his every muscle; his every vein, it had nothing to do with the blazing sun in the sky nor the fact that technically anyone could find them like this and that Noctis couldn’t have cared less.

No. It was a fire that burned only for Ardyn. And if that wasn’t that pathetic of him, Noctis didn’t know what was.

Ardyn laughed, but instead of the mocking sound he’d heard in his past life , it was a rich and entirely amused laugh.

“Oh  _ Noct, _ ” he said, in that way only Ardyn could say, and he leaned forward, their faces together, foreheads touching. 

When they kissed, it was slower and more intimate than Noctis could’ve ever imagined. And so much better, too. Ardyn’s mouth was soft and welcoming and even though Noctis had never had so much practice with this, it felt good when they parted and he saw Ardyn gasping for breath at the same time he did.

When Ardyn finally made quick work of Noctis’ boxers, when he moved down Noctis’ body and traced his lips all the way down the length of Noctis’ cock, it was  _ even better _ . When Ardyn took the swollen head in his mouth and sucked gently, tongue flickering against the underside, Noctis practically saw stars. Little white dots burst in the corners of his vision and he had to bite down to stop himself from crying out too loudly. 

Noctis’ thighs quivered. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck, plastering hair to his skin, covering his body. Ardyn’s hands on his legs stopped him from fucking his mouth, from going at any pace but Ardyn’s own.

And shit, he took it slowly. 

Languidly, Ardyn’s mouth moved, and if there was a rhythm, a rhyme and reason to the way his head bobbed up and down, Noctis was too wrecked by pleasure to get it. He was close enough that any deeper, and any faster and he’d have come already. But instead of ending it, Ardyn made it go… forever. It felt like forever.

At some point, Noctis must’ve forgotten what was happening. He was engulfed in the most delicious wet heat and there was a blue sky stretching endlessly above him, and in a way -- hell, in  _ every  _ way -- he felt better than he’d ever done before.

It was unlike any orgasm he’d experienced before. There was no start and end, no crest and aftermath. Noctis only realized he’d come when he half saw -- through blurry eyes -- half felt Ardyn move off him and wipe his mouth. It still felt good, it still felt amazing, and he didn’t move again for a long time.

At least not until Ardyn sat beside him and rested one arm over Noctis’ chest. The other pulled Noctis up until he was half sitting, half propped up against Ardyn. Their thighs touched and with whatever part of his hadn’t yet admitted defeat and ceased functioning, he thought that it really was amazing, what’d happened: how wonderful the heat was and how sated he felt, with sweat drying on his skin and Ardyn’s arm around his waist.

“I can hear your heart,” Noctis heard himself mumble. His voice was a croaky whisper and maybe he should’ve felt more exposed with Ardyn so thoroughly entangled around him. Instead, Noctis felt… comfortably sleepy.

Although he didn’t see, Noctis still felt Ardyn’s chest rumble against his face, he practically felt the amusement rolling off him in waves. “ _ It beats only for you, my darling. _ ” 

“Lame.”

**Author's Note:**

> I just LOVE afterlife!AUs and couldn't stop myself from writing more self indulgent bs (read: mostly porn) around it. That and there needs to be more Ardynoct in my life.


End file.
